ICEMANforChrist

First Saturday   1 Maccabees, Chapter 12, Verse 39-42 39 Then Trypho sought to become king of Asia, assume the diadem, and do violence to King Antiochus. 40 But he was afraid that Jonathan would not permit him, but would fight against him. Looking for a way to seize and kill him, he set out and came to Beth-shan. 41 Jonathan marched out to meet him with forty thousand picked fighting men and came to Beth-shan. 42 But when Trypho saw that Jonathan had arrived with a large army he was AFRAID to do him violence.   Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth-yes. Jonathan was speaking softly yet at the same time he was carrying a big stick which was his large army with him. As a former police officer we would in order to prevent any trouble show up in force thus preventing the need to take action.   Yet we must always be cautious for often evil men are vile and full of trickery. In this case Jonathan is finally undone for he is sucked into acceptin...

3 First Friday ST. HUBERT patron of hunters   1 Maccabees, Chapter 12, Verse 28 When the enemy heard that Jonathan and his men were ready for battle, their hearts sank with FEAR and dread. They lighted fires in their camp and then withdrew.   As this little soap opera continues, we last see that Jonathan took care of the Greek Apollonius. In many ways this little ditty is like the gang warfare in Chicago or LA. Amazingly the area is about the same size. As the story continues, we see more betrayal. Demetrius forms an alliance with Ptolemy to take Alexander’s turf and add it to Egypt’s. Then, begins the all-out turf war, cross and double cross with no real winners ; Jonathan then saw that the time was right, he chose men and sent them to Rome to confirm and renew the friendship with the Roman s. He also sent letters to the Spartans and other places to the same effect. He is hedging his bet. Now we come to this verse where Demetrius sends a large army to attack Jonathan. Jona...

   Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 1-2 1  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have  PEACE  with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  2  through whom we have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God.   Faith triumphs in trouble. Christian life is a life that trusts in God’s love rather than seeking to make ourselves clean as the Pharisees. We put self-justification and self-righteousness in the background and know peace with God for Christ has purchased our redemption with his blood. By our faith we become citizens of the kingdom of heaven owing our true allegiance to Christ, through His church whose head is the Pope. Although we are in the world, we are not of it. We are faithful citizens of our nation but God’s citizen first.   ON KEEPING THE LORD'S DAY HOLY [1] CHAPTER I DIES DOMINI The Celebration of the Creator's Work " Through him all things were made " ( Jn  1:3) 8....